Look Inside: b'Close Encounters Handbook'

AND YOU

Close Encounters People Jesus helped from the New Testament

Pete and Anne Woodcock

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Jesus and You: Close Encounters © Pete and Anne Woodcock/The Good Book Company 2012 Published by The Good Book Company Ltd 1 Blenheim Road Epsom, Surrey KT19 9AP, UK Tel (UK): 0333 123 0880 Tel (Int): (+44) 208 942 0880 email: admin@thegoodbook.co.uk Websites UK: www.thegoodbook.co.uk N America: www.thegoodbook.com Australia: www.thegoodbook.com.au New Zealand: www.thegoodbook.co.nz Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, New International Reader’s Version.

Copyright © 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, a member of the Hodder Headline Group. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781908317704 Printed in China Design by André Parker Cover image features a celestial eye goldfish

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Contents

Welcome to Close Encounters ............................. 4

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The man who came through the roof.......5 Luke 5 v 17-26

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The man silenced by a demon...............13 Luke 11 v 14-26

3

The sick woman and the dying girl.......23 Mark 5 v 21-43

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The blind beggar..................................33 Mark 10 v 32-34 and 45-52

This handbook is designed to be used with the Jesus and You: Close Encounters DVD also available from The Good Book Company.

(DVD ISBN: 9781908317711) A free downloadable Leader’s Guide is available on our website:

www.thegoodbook.co.uk/closeencounters

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Welcome to Close Encounters

We hope that you will enjoy these four sessions. They will introduce you to Jesus Christ and his teaching.

In this booklet you will find a number of things to help you:

` Questions that you can talk about in your group ` Space to write down what you learn, if you want to ` The parts of the Bible that we will look at ` A summary of each DVD talk that we will watch ` Space to write down your own questions, comments or problems Close Encounters is for anyone and everyone who wants to find out about Jesus Christ. This means that…

` some of you know something about these stories of Jesus—but some of you don’t know anything.

` some of you have been to church—but some of you are completely new to the Christian faith.

` some of you enjoy reading, writing and studying—but some of you haven’t done this for years, and perhaps you never enjoyed it even then.

` some of you may be learning to speak English.

Whoever you are, don’t worry—your group leader will help you and will explain everything you need to know.

So, time to get started and get into Close Encounters…

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1 The man who came through the roof Luke 5 v 17-26 Think about people’s needs‌ ` What do people think is their biggest need today?

The story

Optional Extra

` Listen to the story Jesus told: Luke 5 v 17-26. ` You can read it for yourself on p12.

Test yourself: how much can you remember?

Answer the questions (in pairs, if you prefer).

` Why did people want to see Jesus?

` How do we know that there were lots of people listening to Jesus?

` How did the paralysed man get around in this story?

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` How did his friends get him into the house?

` What did Jesus do ďŹ rst for the paralysed man?

` Who else saw and heard what Jesus did?

` What did these people think of Jesus?

` They believed that only one person could forgive sins. Who?

` How did Jesus show that he had authority on earth to forgive sins?

Desperate need Listen to the first part of the story again: Luke 5 v 17-20 You can read it for yourself on p12.

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Think about it 1.

Everyone knows that Jesus was a great miracle-worker and a prophet (someone who brings a message from God).

Imagine Jesus is living up the road. What do you think most people would ask him to do for them?

2.

These friends go to a lot of effort to get help for their friend. Look at verse 20. What is surprising, and a bit disappointing? (Clue: Think about what Jesus does AND what he doesn’t do.)

3.

What does Jesus think this man’s biggest need is?

DOWNLOAD 1:1 (Summary on p42)

4.

When people hear the word “sin”, what do they usually think?

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5.

What do you think the word “sin” means?

Look at the descriptions of “sin” below.

Are they good or bad descriptions of sin?

6.

a

sin = doing something very bad (like child abuse or murder)

b

sin = sex

c

sin = doing what you want

d

sin = not loving God and his ways

Jesus shows us that the most important thing he can do for us is to forgive our sins. Why is that the most important thing?

Ask yourself: ` Do I know that I am a sinner—a helpless, hopeless outcast from God? ` Do I see that my biggest need is to have my sin forgiven? ` Do I understand that only Jesus can help me?

Shocking words Listen to the next part of the story: Luke 5 v 20-21 You can read it for yourself on p12.

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Think about it 1.

Here are some things that people often say about forgiveness: a

“I made a mistake when I lied. I let myself down. I need to forgive myself and move on.”

b

“She’ll never forgive me for what I did.”

c

“I feel terrible. I can’t forgive myself.”

d

“He’s forgiven me, so everything’s OK now.”

Look at what the Pharisees and teachers of the law say in verse 21.

What do they believe about forgiveness?

` How is that different from the sentences you have just read?

DOWNLOAD 1:2 (Summary on p42)

2.

What sort of evidence shows us that Jesus is God (the one who can forgive sins)?

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Ask yourself: ` Who do I think Jesus is? ` Why do I think that? ` How can I check out the evidence?

Sure proof Listen to the last part of the story: Luke 5 v 22-26 You can read it for yourself on p12.

Think about it 1. How did Jesus show that he is the one who can forgive sins?

` What did everyone think (see v 26)?

2. Remember that this man was a helpless, hopeless outcast.

How was his whole life immediately changed by Jesus?

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DOWNLOAD 1:3 (Summary on p42)

The big questions Jesus is the sin-forgiver. The friends of the paralysed man didn’t let the crowd or the roof get in the way of coming to Jesus. They believed that only he could help. And they found out that he could do far more than they ever imagined.

` Do you believe in Jesus? ` What is stopping you from coming to Jesus?

“All the prophets give witness about [Jesus]. They say that all who believe in him have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Acts 10 v 43 (The Bible: New International Reader’s Version)

My questions and comments

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Bible text The man who came through the roof Luke 5 v 17-26

17 One day Jesus was teaching. Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. They heard that the Lord had given Jesus the power to heal the sick.

18 Some men came carrying a man who could not walk. He was lying on a mat. They tried to take him into the house to place him in front of Jesus.

19 They could not find a way to do this because of the crowd. So they went up on the roof. Then they lowered the man on his mat through the opening in the roof tiles. They lowered him into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw that they had faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to think, “Who is this fellow who says such an evil thing? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

23 “Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’? Or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

24 “I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he spoke to the man who could not walk. “I tell you,” he said, “get up. Take your mat and go home.”

25 Right away, the man stood up in front of them. He took his mat and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with wonder. They said, “We have seen unusual things today.”